Approximately 2.3 million Australians aged 15 years and over (13%) had been admitted to hospital in the past year. Almost three-quarters of those admitted to hospital had been admitted once only, while 586,500 people had been admitted more than once in that time (26%). Men were slightly more likely than women to have been admitted to hospital more than once (29% and 23% respectively).

Figure 4.1 shows frequency of hospital admissions by State or Territory:

4.1 Number of times admitted to hospital in the last 12 months (a), by State/Territory(See Table 4.3 for more detail)

Rates of being admitted to hospital multiple times in the past year were highest for people living in the areas of most disadvantage (29%). This rate decreased to 21% of those living in the areas of least disadvantage.

People who rated their general health as fair or poor were more likely than those who rated their health as good or better to have been admitted to hospital more than once (40% compared with 21%).

Frequency of hospital admissions was not significantly affected by age, remoteness or private health insurance status, however employed people were more likely to have been admitted to hospital only once compared with people who were unemployed or not in the labour force (see Tables 4.1 and 4.2 for more detail).